Applause goes out to Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg for keeping our energy crisis in the spotlight. Yesterday, Rehberg announced that he will travel back to Washington DC to work with other Republicans to get Speaker Nancy Pelosi to bring the House back into session and find a solution for high gas prices.

Max Baucus and Jon Tester need to also get on a plane and get back to Washington to solve this problem. Everything needs to be debated openly and honestly.

More and more it appears that if Americans want lower energy prices, they will need to get rid of the current leadership in Washington. The Democrats are walking a fine line by waiting until 2009 to pass any energy legislation. Hopefully voters will make them pay dearly in the November elections.

Democrats can put out press release after press release saying the high energy prices are all the Republicans’ fault. Fact is, the Democrats control the majority in Congress and therefore control the legislative agenda. We have not seen much of anything they promised in 2006 come to fruition. The 110^th Congress has to rank near the bottom of all Congresses in getting anything done. The fact is that gas prices have significantly increased since Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, Jon Tester and Max Baucus have been in the majority.

Senator Jon Tester said he has a plan that includes, “Drilling for oil immediately in areas that make sense…” whatever that means. But Tester stopped short of saying he would vote to drill offshore. He wants to talk to Montanans about it and he will probably hear more loudly what he heard in 2006 when he was trying to get elected:

But I’ve been listening to Montana families and they’re sick and tired of buying $3 a gallon gas. Here we are in the middle of the summer when Montana families are taking vacations and farmers are getting ready for the harvest, and gas is just too expensive — all because government hasn’t done anything to look for alternatives. It is time for leadership in Washington.

Yes Senator, it is time for some leadership in Washington. Under your and Senator Max Baucus’ watch, gas prices have increased more than $2.00 per gallon. We’re “sick and tired” of buying $4.00 gas. This is certainly not the time to take a vacation. It’s certainly not leadership.

Although Tester is ahead of his mentor, Max Baucus, regarding the energy issue, both trail Rehberg in coming up with a solution. Rehberg supports H.R. 6566, The American Energy Act of 2008, which has 127 co-sponsors in the House. It is a good bill that includes everything.

Meanwhile, Jon and Max’s leader, Barack Obama, will be vacationing in Hawaii next week. Not many folks can afford to buy airline tickets these days to take a Hawaiian vacation. Some fares have increased over 200% percent since the Democrats have been running congress.

The worst is yet to come: We will need to heat our homes this winter. Chances are the Democrats will come back for a few days after the August vacation and then take another vacation through most of October all the way until January 20, 2009. That’s spineless.